Starting Anew
by SakuraMikan12
Summary: Seven years of void in my heart, seven years before I found myself again. We'll all be starting anew, with the freedom we now have. I'm Mikan Sakura, and I'm free. *Story after chapter 176. I suggest you read the manga first for reference.*


_Mikan saw her life flashed before her, her past, full of joy and happiness, stopping until her forgotten memories of one and a half year._

_**The universe doesn't make bargains, we're all under a spell, a spell of balance.**_

I am 'home'

I hugged Jii-Chan and clearly saw delight on his face. "Jii-Chan, Tadaima!"

"How was your day Mikan?" he asked me, a smile still etched on his wrinkled face.

"It was good Jii-chan, I went to Miyuki's coffee shop and she kept on nagging me to get a boyfriend-" I continued my story of the day, Jii-chan likes it when I tell him all the details, I guess he's lonely here alone.

It's been seven years. Seven years since I got home, seven years since I forgot an important piece of my life, one and a half year of my memories.

Seven years ago, I stood on this floor with tears on my face. I didn't know if they were tears of joy or sadness. I was crying for I was home.

I did not know where I was in those days of my one and a half year but Jii-chan said I must have met a lot of cool people.

It has been seven years since this void in my heart started to grow. It has been seven years of pretending I felt like home. I mean Jii-chan is here and all; and Mr. Bear too., but there's something I want to know, something I want to remember.

I walked up to my room. "Mr. Bear!" I exclaimed and hugged him to bed. I laid and closed my eyes just before I could say "I missed you"

**"Mikan"**

**"Mikan" **a smiling raven haired girl looked at me, her face, vague but her voice is clear.

**"Mikan"** A blond boy looked at me and smile

**"Mikan"** Crimson eyes, I wanted to see his crimson eyes.

I stretched my hand out, trying to touch them, I don't want them to disappear, but they're slowly drifting away. Please, don't go away.

I woke up with tears in my eyes and my arms crushing Mr. Bear in a hug. I quickly loosened it.

"You must have been suffocated Mr. Bear. Gomen" Just for a second, I thought I saw concern flicker in Mr. Bear's beady eyes.

Sometimes I do wonder if Mr. Bear is alive or his non-existent soul is nothing but my pure imagination and hope that there are things beyond than what I can see.

"'Mikan" I heard Jii-Chan call me. I glanced at the clock, something was off it's three o'clock in the morning and Jii-Chan would never wake up this early.

I ran to his room worriedly and found Jii-chan on the floor clutching his chest and his breathing's shallow.

I dialed the local emergency number. No more than five minutes, they arrived.

The doctor told me that Jii-chan is old and have not much time to live, he told me I should ready myself for the worst.

I knocked at the door that said 101. "Jii-chan?" I poked my head to see if he was awake, he weakly smiled at me and gestured for me to come in.

"How are you Jii-Chan?" I held his hand and kissed his knuckles.

"I'm fine. But I'm old Mikan, very old, and I can feel that my time is up, I'll be going." His bright smile despite everything brought tears in my eyes.

"I don't want you to go grandpa, you're all that I've left." his smile left his lips.

"Mikan, venture out, expand your horizons, leave our little town, and find your self. You're 19 now, I'm sure you'll love the city. You can also live with your uncle Shiki. While you're at it send him my regards." I cried more. I can't find my voice.

Jii-chan patted my head and caressed my back. That one big void in my heart just keep getting bigger and bigger.

Truly grandpa's time was up, three days after our talk, he died. The doctors tried to ease my pain by telling me he was old and it was inevitable.

"Well, I guess it's only you and me Mr. Bear. You and me against the world." I hugged him and once again looked around me, the house I'm leaving.

I picked up my suitcase catching one last glance and went out. I marveled at the sun, his high palace in the sky. This is the start of something new.

I bought a ticket to Tokyo.

It was a long ride and it was noon when I arrived.

Skyscrapers, tall buildings, flashing lights, humongous billboards, and crowded streets, I'm definitely in Tokyo.

I searched for the place uncle Shiki works at, I'm going to surprise him.

As I stand with my mouth open in front of the huge gate of Alice Academy, a guard hissed at me. "No outsiders allowed" I looked at him, I tightened my hold on Mr. Bear.

"Ano.. Im looking for Mr. Masachika Shiki, he's my uncle." I stuttered.

"He's busy attending to the graduation." He narrowed his eyes. "And aren't you a little too old for a teddy bear, you look like the same age as the graduates." he finished of with a chuckle.

"Hey don't insult Mr. Bear!" Just then the gate opened and a blond curly man walked up to me with wide eyes.

"Mikan-Chan?" At the sound of his voice I cringed my nose and twitched my eyes, slowly the black void in my heart lit a bit of light.

My face flushed. "It is you Mikan-Chan!" He hugged me.I can feel him in my lost memory hidden beneath the mess in my heart.

My face grew redder and redder. "I forgot you don't have an alice anymore."

He looked all over me. "You've grown up, Mikan-chan" Ha patted my head and just then, just then, I saw his smiling face in my memory.

"Narumi-Sensei?" I spoke ever so low, ever so slow.

He gaped at me. but nonetheless hugged me again. "Let's go in, shall we?"

He took my hand and smiled at me. I know when I open this gate, I'll find myself, to fill this void in my heart.I just... know it.

We walked towards the building. "You know outsiders aren't allowed, but you're a special case." I smiled. I remember him hugging me protectively.

"Endings are inevitable. As much as we hate goodbyes, we need to go, we move-" The man whom I guessed as the class representative stopped his speech as we walk in.

"Mikan-chan?" As he said my name,another light lit the big void of my heart. Everyone in the room stood up, and those who were sitting with their backs facing us turned to look at me. They were all shocked. But most of them were smiling and crying.

"Mikan Sakura?" He asked again through the mike.

_I saw my life flashed before me, my memory, a completely different life, one and a half year full of excitement, love, thrill, friendship, fun, and everything. All emotions mixed up._

Tears ran down my cheeks. Mr. Bear wiped them and I chuckled. The void in my heart rapidly turning into light.

"Iinchou." I smiled at him. We laughed and cried at the same time.

"Permy, Ruka, Yuu, Nonoko, Anna, Wakako, Hoshio, Koko, Kitsu, Tsubasa-senpai, Msaki-senpai, Kaname-senpai, Nobara Hayate-senpai, Kusami-senpai, Mochiage-senpai, Akira-senpai, Sakurano-senpai,Misaki-sensei, Jinno-sensei, Nodacchi-sensei. Minna!" My eyes wandered and landed on his crimson eyes.

"Natsume. Tadaima!"

"Took you long enough Polka." He smiled that warm smile.

One big group hug and they led me to sit.

"As I was saying. Endings are inevitable, but we move on, we close the book and open a new one. Because endings, are new beginnings." He looked at me. "Ne, Mikan-Chan?" I looked at Yuu.

"Let's live outside these walls together ne?" I smiled and nodded. He walked down after that uncle Shiki announce. "You are now all graduates. You have the choice to stay or to leave. Hopefully your years in Alice Academy will be cherished and your lessons, learned." They all cheered. They smiled at me and I smiled back.

We are standing right inside the gates of Alice Academy. all of us, including Tsubasa-senpai and Misaki-senpai

They gave me a peace sign. "We waited for our kohai." I laughed at their statement.

The whole class, looking triumphant and proud.

"Mikan-san, I wanted to give these to you, Imai, wanted you to have it." Ruka gave me two mushroom earplugs.

"imai?" I asked and held the earplugs, we listened to it.

"Mikan. This means Ruka was able to give you this. Gomene. I'm not by your side right now. I know you forgot about me, but I will always love you, all of you. The times we spent together when we were young and the times we spent together inside the Academy. I'll never forget them. And tell Hyuuga I save him for a reason, so he shouldn't break your heart. By the way, don't worry about me, I'm with my brother and I know he'll never leave me. I guess the universe was pretty angry at us. Just remember this Mikan, we're always here for you. I'm always there for you. BA-KA" That ended it. We laughed, the great Hotaru Imai using the phrase 'I guess'. We remember her, as clear as a crystal.

I clutched the earplugs "Hotaru. Hotaru." I repeated her name over and over again, each on more painful than the other.

"Mikan-chan, Hotaru-san won't be happy that you're crying." Yuu tried to comfort me. "Instead she'll say 'You look uglier when you cry baka." Koko tried to imitate her voice. I dried my tears, they're right.

"Ready Polka?" He smirked.

"Mou, stop with the names." I pouted. The girls giggled at us.

"Ready"I said and regain my composure.

"Together?" Tsubasa-senpai said as the gates opened. I looked up and clearly see Hotaru's smiling face.

"Together." I held Natsume's hand. Mr. Bear held my other hand.

Some years from now, we'll be waiting outside to meet Youichi. For him to come and live with us. But for now, we're going to step out of our darkness , out of our comfort zones, and live our life to the fullest, to start anew.

Once a Class B,

Always a Class B.

We all knew one thing.

We are all free.

_**The universe doesn't make bargains.**_

_**But fate has a lot in stored for you.**_

_Mikan saw her life flash before her as she stepped out, looking over her shoulder she saw them all, the future waiting for them, the freedom she'll never get tired of. Her whole future with them. Their new life._


End file.
